Join us for a workshop on the benefits of gardening with wildlife here at Asthall Manor Kitchen Garden. Complete beginners through to keen amateurs all welcome. A thriving and diverse population of insects and animals, big and small is key to the growing of healthy, nutritious (aka tasty) food. Healthy wildlife means healthy plants means healthy people. In this all-day workshop you will learn the fundamental benefits of gardening with wildlife while growing food for people. You’ll develop an understanding of why our wild bird, animal and insect friends are not just either pests or a nice aside to have in the garden but are in fact critical, hard-working colleagues who play a vital role in the guarding and growing of nutritious food or are simply a key link in a beneficial creature’s food chain. You’ll learn the different roles that many creatures play and what they need in turn, to keep them happy all year round, with an emphasis on the winter months. The day will entail a healthy mix of theory, games and investigations. You will also carry out some fun, practical work to apply your learning and to help increase the diversity and vitality of our wild friends, right here in the kitchen garden. Places are limited to 10 in order to maintain a quality experience for those attending the workshop. Tea, coffee, snacks and a hearty lunch of soup, bread and kitchen garden salad will be provided. Please dress appropriately for the weather with sturdy shoes or boots that don’t mind getting muddy. Please bear in mind that this is a working production site and not a clinical classroom setting. And be prepared to get your hands dirty. Please do also bring a pen and note pad. Please do consider using public transport or bicycle to get here and if you’re coming by car, please park in the tree-lined avenue nearby. More travel information here: https://www.asthallmanor.com/plan-your-visit/ The course will be delivered by Tim Mitchell, a qualified Level 2 Organic food growing tutor with 10 years of teaching experience while working in community food growing and commercial Organic food production. Asthall Manor Kitchen Garden is part of Asthall Wild CIC, a social enterprise with the aim of helping to create a healthier, happier food system for all. We grow wildlife-friendly and people-friendly food using Organic methods and Permaculture principles. We grow for a small, local box scheme, for chefs and for the Manor kitchen. We do this while providing a mixture of wild habitats for beneficial creatures to feed, hunt, sleep, bask, breed and hibernate in. The funds raised from this workshop will go towards delivering the aims of Asthall Wild CIC. For more information, see here . Ticket Description Price Supporter For those who can afford to pay a little more to show financial solidarity with those on low or no income. The supporter funds raised from this workshop go directly towards subsidising those on lower income and to supporting the non-profit Asthall Wild CIC to deliver its aims. £ 95 Standard For those who cannot stretch to the Supporter price. £ 65 Subsidised A limited number of places at this price are available to make the workshop accessible for students, low- waged, and/or unpaid workers and anyone who would otherwise be unable to afford to attend. £ 35 Purchase Tickets

Description supplied by the event organiser.